


Bus Stop

by warriorofculture



Category: SpongeBob SquarePants (Cartoon)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:35:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28500852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warriorofculture/pseuds/warriorofculture
Summary: Squidward waits at the bus stop after a day of shopping, and is naturally joined by others whilst waitingLoosely based on the song"Bus Stop" by The Hollies
Relationships: SpongeBob SquarePants/Squidward Tentacles
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	Bus Stop

He set his bag on the ground by his side as he waited. He was alone at the bus stop for now, but he was sure others would join him before the bus arrived. He was off work for the day, so he’d spent the afternoon shopping on the other end of town. It had been a rather enjoyable excursion, and he’d found some new things to try, such as a tea blend he hadn’t seen before. He was looking forward to the trip home and having the evening to himself as well. He smiled as he adjusted the umbrella he had resting on the crook of his right elbow. It wasn’t raining, but the morning’s forecast had called for it and the darkening sky told him it was soon on the way.

“Squidward?”

He cringed. Of all the people he’d seen today, he’d hoped to not see this one. Couldn’t he have _any_ time to himself?

“Whatcha doing at the bus stop, Squidward?”

He frowned before turning and fixing the newcomer with a glare. “What does it _look_ like I’m doing, Spongebob?” He gestured to the sign nearby. “I’m waiting for the bus.”

“Really?” Spongebob smiled as he sidled up to the octopus and pointed to the bag at his feet. “And you did some shopping, too?”

“Yes, I did. And don’t touch it.”

“Okay.” Spongebob held up a bag of his own. “I’ve been doing some shopping, too.”

Squidward rolled his eyes. “Of course you did,” he stated flatly.

“You wanna see?”

“No.”

Spongebob reached into the bag. “I got this—”

_BOOM!_

Both jumped at the sound; before either could say anything, rain began pouring down on them. Squidward immediately snapped open his umbrella and held it above his head, grateful he’d had the foresight to bring it with him. Unfortunately, aside from his bag, Spongebob was empty-handed.

He let out a nervous laugh. “I didn’t know it was going to rain today.”

“Didn’t you watch the news this morning?”

“Er, well… no, I was in a hurry to leave.”

“Why were you in a hurry?”

“I didn’t want to miss the bus.”

Squidward sighed. He figured there was something at Spongebob’s house that had him running late, possibly involving Gary or Patrick. At the same time, the skies had been dark for some time, so Spongebob should’ve at least bought an umbrella whilst he was shopping. However, he also knew the sea sponge tended to not pay much attention to his surroundings, so incidents like this happened, where he stood in the pouring rain with no cover. There was no telling how long it would take the bus to arrive.

He felt badly seeing Spongebob standing there, getting drenched, and was sure he’d regret his next words. “I’ll… share my umbrella with—”

“Yay! Thanks, Squidward.” Spongebob zipped to his side, taking shelter under the umbrella.

Squidward felt the sea sponge shaking, and he hiked an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.” Spongebob wrapped his arms around himself. “I just got cold standing in the rain.”

“…Oh.”

“You know, you sure are warm, Squidward.” Spongebob pressed himself against the octopus.

Squidward opened his mouth to protest, then shut it. For some reason, he didn’t mind the feeling of Spongebob against him, shivering from the cold. The shared warmth helped to alleviate the shivering as well.

Realising he wasn’t going to get a response, Spongebob dug a hand into his bag again. “I haven’t shown you what I got yet,” he explained as he pulled out an item. “See? It’s a new toy for Gary.”

“Hrm.” Squidward gazed at the toy with disinterest, not understanding why his neighbour was making such a big deal out of it.

Spongebob returned the toy to his bag, then pulled out another item. “I also got this tea; it’s a blend I haven’t tried yet.”

Squidward’s eyes widened. “H- Hey… That’s the same tea I just bought.”

“Really?” Spongebob looked up at him.

“Yes, I…” He trailed off when he spotted something approaching in the distance. “There’s the bus.”

Spongebob gazed at him a moment longer before turning to look. “You’re right, that is the bus.”

Before he could reply, Squidward noticed some fish had formed a queue behind him. And he had a little yellow sea sponge huddled against him. Heat rose in his face, but thankfully, the bus came to a stop before him. He picked up his bag and dashed inside as quickly as possible, anxious to get home.

However, he realised his side where Spongebob had pressed against him felt cold, now there was no one there.

* * *

A week later, Squidward found himself in the same position: he stood at the same bus stop, a bag of recent purchases at his feet. The main difference this time, though, was that he wasn’t the first one in line: two people waited ahead of him.

No matter, he thought. There was no rain in the forecast, the bus would arrive in about five minutes, and he’d be back home once again.

“Hi, Squidward!”

…Except now the five minutes would drag on into eternity.

“What do you want, Spongebob?”

“Huh?” The sea sponge wore a look of confusion as he approached.

“Why are you here?”

“Oh, I was just doing a little sightseeing.”

“In Bikini Bottom?”

Spongebob laughed. “No, silly, at the zoo.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “It’s three blocks away.”

“And there’s no bus stop over there?”

“Nuh-uh.” Spongebob shook his head. “It’s strange, but I guess they don’t want too much traffic around there or something.”

Squidward shrugged. “There’s no telling, really.”

“Yeah…” Spongebob’s gaze fell on the bag. “Hey, you did some more shopping today?”

“Yes, I—”

“Didja get more tea?” Spongebob looked up at him in excitement.

“Er, no…”

“What did you get?”

He really wanted to say, “It’s none of your business,” but he found himself picking up the bag and extracting a small white box.

Spongebob’s excited look turned into one of interest. “Ooh, you got a box?”

Squidward lifted the lid and showed the contents to him: it was a very elegant-looking teacup. The design was beautiful and likely hand painted.

“Wow,” Spongebob breathed, stepping closer. “That’s a very pretty teacup.”

“Thanks.”

“Did you get it for a special occasion?”

“No.”

“Is it a gift for someone?”

“No.”

Spongebob appeared to be at a loss.

“I got it for myself because I liked it, alright?”

“Oh, I get it.” Spongebob smiled. “It’s nice to treat yourself sometimes.”

Squidward nodded as he returned the lid to the box and placed it in the bag. “It is.”

Spongebob looked up. “There doesn’t seem to be any rain today,” he commented.

“Thank goodness,” Squidward muttered, setting the bag on the sidewalk again.

He froze, his gaze still on the ground. He hadn’t realised how close Spongebob was standing to him until he saw the black shoes a noticeably short distance away. However, something prevented him from saying anything about it.

“Rain is nice though,” Spongebob said, unaware of Squidward’s thoughts. “It helps the plants grow, and it washes away all the bad things to let everything start over clean and new.”

Squidward straightened up as Spongebob spoke. The latter’s second half of the last sentence almost seemed to be directed towards him… though that wasn’t possible, was it? Why would Spongebob say such a thing about him?

Nevertheless…

He cleared his throat. “Perhaps, but I’d rather not get wet.”

Spongebob smiled again. “Me, either.”

Thankfully, the bus pulled to a stop at the curb before them at that moment, though this time, Squidward realised he wasn’t in such a rush to get on the bus. He was content to wait his turn to climb aboard, letting Spongebob stand rather close to him.

* * *

Another week, another shopping excursion, same bus stop. It was starting to feel like a pattern to him, especially—

“Hi, Squidward!”

That.

To his surprise, he didn’t cringe or wince at the call; instead, he turned his head and watched the sea sponge jogging along the sidewalk and stopping nearby.

“Didja do more shopping today?” Spongebob asked.

“Yes. You?”

“Uh-huh!” He held up a bag proudly. “I got a new jigsaw puzzle, and the latest issue of _Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy_.”

“Comics and games, huh…”

“Yeah, they’re lots of fun.” Spongebob smiled. “What did you get?”

Squidward shrugged. “Nothing much, just a new quill pen and some bottles of ink.”

“Really?” Spongebob’s eyes were huge.

“Er, yes.” Squidward was caught off-guard with the sudden enthusiasm. “My old quill has worn down, and I was almost out of ink.”

“Ooh, I see. But… you _buy_ ink for your pen?”

Squidward was silent, trying to make sense of the question. After a moment, it finally dawned on him what Spongebob meant: as an octopus, Squidward naturally made his own ink. It would sound rather odd for him to buy ink at a store.

His face reddened and he cast a glance over his shoulder. Three fish waited by the bus stop; the first two wore a disinterested look – they were likely too far away to hear what was said – but the third, the one closest to him, hiked an eyebrow in his direction.

Squidward gave a nervous laugh and cleared his throat. “Er, y- yes, Spongebob, I buy ink from a store s- since that’s what you do if you want to write with a quill pen.” He returned his attention to the sea sponge, who was giving him a puzzled look. “Th- That’s a ridiculous question to ask,” he added.

Spongebob tilted his head in confusion but decided not to pursue the matter any further. Instead, his interest turned to the bag in Squidward’s hand. “Can I see the pen you bought?”

“Erm, sure.” Squidward forced down his embarrassment as he reached into his bag and pulled out a small, flat box.

Before he could do anything else, Spongebob grabbed the box from his hand and removed the lid, staring at its contents. The only item in the box was a quill pen, the feather a lovely shade of blue. “Wow, this is really lovely,” he commented.

“Th… Thanks,” Squidward mumbled, looking away.

Spongebob returned the lid to the box and placed it in Squidward’s hands. The latter realised something and looked at his hands, which were holding the box, but were also held by Spongebob’s hands.

His pulse sped up. “S… Spongebob…” he said softly, struggling to get out the words.

“Yeah?”

“H… Hands… Y- Your…”

Spongebob looked down. “Oh! I’m sorry.” He let go, his arms dropping to his sides. “I… I didn’t realise…”

Squidward shook his head. “It’s okay.” He kept his own gaze on his hands, which still held the box containing the pen. However, he noticed his hands were shaking, and he fought the urge to ask Spongebob to hold his hands again to stop the trembling.

Instead, he glanced over Spongebob’s head and spotted a familiar vehicle. “There’s the bus,” he pointed out, stuffing the box back into his bag.

Spongebob turned around and spotted the same thing. “Y- Yeah…”

When they boarded the bus, Squidward sat near a window, and to his surprise, Spongebob sat beside him. He hadn’t done that the previous two weeks.

Squidward opened his mouth to speak. “I figured since we’re going to nearly the same place,” Spongebob explained before the question was asked, “there’s nothing wrong with sharing a seat.”

“Er… good point.” Squidward forced himself to look out the window to hide his mounting happiness at having the sea sponge sitting beside him. He couldn’t figure out what brought about such a feeling, and he certainly didn’t want Spongebob to know about it. After all, Spongebob would want to know why he felt that way, and what could Squidward say?

Nothing, for he had no idea.

* * *

This routine continued for a few more weeks: Squidward would travel to the other side of town for shopping or an afternoon away from home, and when he waited at the bus stop, Spongebob soon joined him. Sometimes the sea sponge would also do some shopping, and he always showed his neighbour what he bought. Occasionally, other fish waited in a queue with them, and they’d give the two strange looks as they spoke about their day and purchases.

The whole thing seemed rather bizarre to Squidward as well, but he found himself unable to voice any protests. After all, he rather enjoyed the times Spongebob talked with him at the bus stop. That in and of itself was the main reason why he never complained; he was too surprised at his feelings towards the matter.

One day, Squidward waited at the bus stop as usual, and he carried his umbrella with him again. The forecast called for rain, so he made sure to take the extra precaution. As he waited, he glanced around; there was no queue.

The minutes stretched on.

Nothing.

Perhaps Spongebob wasn’t in the area today? Well, it didn’t matter; he knew he’d see his neighbour sooner or later. At the same time, he began to feel concerned. It felt like it had become a habit to see the happy yellow face by his side at the bus stop each week, no matter where in the queue he stood. In a way, it helped brighten up his own day.

_KABOOM!_

He jumped at the sudden noise, but this time, he had his umbrella open the instant the rain began to fall. By the time he lifted the umbrella, he was barely touched by the rain. He was certain the weather would delay the bus, since visibility was rather low now, so he continued to patiently wait.

And wait.

He frowned, casting another look around. Where _was_ Spongebob? This was quite peculiar behaviour for the sea sponge, especially considering the past several weeks. Maybe Spongebob was sick? He scoffed. Right, as if that would happen. A handful of years ago, Spongebob had caught the suds, and his treatment prevented him from getting sick again. There were other illnesses he could catch besides the suds, but it was difficult for Spongebob to get any of them, thanks to his treatment.

Maybe he didn’t want to go shopping today? That was possible, though not likely. He tried to push down his concerns as the rain continued pouring onto his umbrella and the world about him.

“Squidward!”

His eyes widened. That was Spongebob’s voice! But where was he? He frantically looked around, seeing nothing but the endless rain.

“Spongebob?” he called out.

A moment later, he heard footsteps splashing in the puddles on the sidewalk as they quickly approached. “S- Squidward, can I—”

“Yes, of course.”

“Thanks!” Spongebob emerged from the sheets of rain as he huddled against Squidward under the umbrella.

“Where have you been?” Squidward asked, trying to keep the concern out of his voice.

Spongebob took a few moments to catch his breath before replying. “I was shopping,” he explained. “I was trying to find something in particular, and lost track of time.”

“What were you looking for?”

“Er, well…” Spongebob averted his gaze. “I was looking for a gift for you.”

“M… Me? Why?”

“Erm… w- well, I just wanted to get you something, that’s all.”

“You don’t have to get me anything, Spongebob.” He almost added a second sentence but caught himself before he could get out any more words. What else was there to say, anyway?

“But I wanted to…” The sea sponge looked up at him and smiled, a big, warm smile. “You know, this is just like last month when it rained.”

Squidward’s heartbeat sped up. He knew Spongebob was right, though there was a bit of a difference this time; his racing pulse was the biggest indicator of the difference. However, when he tried to respond, his mouth wouldn’t move. Perhaps that was another sign.

He nearly yelped in surprise when he felt a pair of arms winding around him. He looked down and realised the arms belonged to Spongebob, who was still smiling at him. He wondered if the move was intentional, but again, he was unable to say anything.

Instead, he found himself lowering his head closer, closer…

Spongebob raised himself up on his tiptoes to also get closer as their lips met. Squidward couldn’t believe he was doing such a thing, but it sure felt good… no, it felt _great_. He freed one hand from his umbrella and wrapped it around Spongebob, holding him as close as possible as new emotions poured from him. He could feel the same emotions were being returned to him in equal measure, and he knew, without either of them saying a word, how they both truly felt about the other in that moment.

Some time later, they pulled apart, gazing deep into each other’s eyes. “Squidward…” Spongebob murmured.

“Hm?”

“I… I…” Words seemed to fail him.

Thankfully, Squidward knew exactly what those words were, as he longed to say them himself. But something kept him from doing so; perhaps they’d share those words later. After all, they both knew how they felt, and at least for the moment, there was no need to point out the obvious.

“I know you do,” he replied.

“Th- Then…?”

He smiled. “You don’t ever need to ask, Spongebob.”

He brought their lips together again, delighting in the sensation once more, enjoying the warm body against his, loving the person he never thought he’d ever love. But he knew he couldn’t deny those feelings, just as the one in his arms – or rather, arm – couldn’t deny having the same feelings.

He didn’t know if the rain had let up or if it poured just as heavily as before, as the only thing on his mind was the one he now kissed.


End file.
